Truss hinge with variations in angular settings

ABSTRACT

A truss hinge that includes a number of different labeled parts, where connections between the two different parts can constrain the truss to different angles.

This application is a continuation application of U.S. Ser. No. 12/968,598 filed Dec. 15, 2010, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,850,774 issued Oct. 7, 2014, which claims priority from provisional application No. 61/286,743, filed Dec. 15, 2009, the disclosures of these parent applications are hereby incorporated by reference, in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

In a stage environment, it may be useful to move scenery. Trusses are often used in stage lighting applications to hold stage lights and other items as support pieces above the ground. Two pieces of truss may be held together.

SUMMARY

An embodiment describes a truss hinge that allows hinging, and facilitates setting different templates for moving or for pivoting the trusses relative to one another.

Embodiments describe a hinging truss, with two truss parts that are connected by a special hinge that allows the truss to be used and stay in multiple different configurations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the assembled truss hinge from a front view;

FIG. 2 shows an edge view of the truss;

FIGS. 3-11 show different angular relations between the trusses;

FIGS. 12A, 12B, 13A and 13B show the disassembled angle truss parts; and

FIGS. 14-17 show trusses attached to the truss hinges, in different angular positions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The embodiment described herein describes a truss and hinge assembly that allows maintaining two different truss parts at different angles relative to one another. FIG. 14 shows how the two truss parts 1400, 1405 can be held together by a hinging part 1410. The hinging part includes special structure as described herein which allows holding the truss at a number of different configurations relative to one another. The two truss parts can be held at 0° relative to one another as shown in FIG. 14 for transportation, and then raised to thereby form another angle between the parts.

FIG. 15 shows truss parts at 5° relative to one another, with the truss hinge connected and coupled in a different configuration than that in FIG. 14. This may be the final position of the truss as it's raised, or if the pins/bolts are in different holes, the truss may pivot more, going to different angles as it is raised.

FIG. 16 illustrates a 20° angle between the truss parts, and FIG. 17 illustrates a 45° angle between the truss parts.

The system as used herein includes truss hinges which are described herein and which have connection parts attached to the ends of the trusses. The trusses 1400, 1405 are each attached to one side of the hinge. The hinge can move between different angles, thereby hinging and holding the trusses at different angles between one another. At each of the plurality of angles, there is a special pin connection that allows holding and/or the truss at that specific angle.

In this embodiment, the trusses can be transported “flat”, e.g., with a 0° angle between the truss sections as shown in FIG. 14. The trusses can be moved on carts, for example. The pin is then removed from the zero degree hole, and placed in the hole for the desired angle. As the trusses are raised, they pivot until the desired angle is reached, as shown in FIGS. 15-17. Once raised, the truss sections are at the desired angle set by the pivots and the pins.

According to the embodiment, there are different stop surfaces. In the embodiment, holes, slots and surfaces interplay to limit and hold the hinging at different angles between the hinge portions. Each hole or slot is marked, and corresponds to one specific angle between the truss pieces. A pin or bolt is placed in the hole or slot, and holds the hinges at the different angles.

FIG. 1 illustrates the assembled truss hinge, formed of two different parts that are hinged together to move relative to one another. The hinge as shown in FIG. 1 is set in a 0° position, with the left hinge part 100 pressed completely against the right hinge part 110. Both of the hinge parts include different attachment holes, including the center attachment hole 120. A bolt or pin 121 can be placed in the center attachment hole in order to hold the two parts together at 0° for transport.

The left side hinge plate 100 includes the connections 101, 102 which are substantially cylindrical in inner cross-section to hold a pole end of a truss assembly. Each of the holders such as 101 includes a bolt hole such as 112 which can bolt to the appropriate truss piece. As explained herein, there are also a number of central shafts, shown as 130, 140, 150, 160 and 170. As explained herein, the openings on the left side piece 100 are different than those of the right side piece 110, and enable holding the hinge assembly into position at a rotational amount, or locked against pivoting by more than an amount.

A pivot point 180 may allow movement or angular movement between the left hinge part 100 and right hinge part 110. The pivot point can be a pin or bolt, e.g., for a metal to metal hinging, or the bolt can have a Teflon or plastic sleeve around it. The hinging allows the movement between the hinge parts to different angular amounts.

FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of the hinge, showing the different connections to the two different hinge parts 100, 110. This also shows the side view of the bolt 121, and how that bolt extends through both sides of the hinge.

In operation, the system has a number of different parts that connect together to hold the device in two different angular locations. In addition, as shown, for example, in FIGS. 12 and 13, the different parts can be labeled so that or engraved in a way that allows different users to select desired angles between the different trusses.

In the embodiment, the left plate forms the outer plate of the left/right hinge combination. FIG. 12A shows the left/outer plate, while FIG. 12B shows the right/inner plate of the embodiment. The outer plate includes a number of different holes shown generally as 1200 and a number of slots shown as 1201.

The outer plate is as shown in FIG. 12 A as the left plate. However, on the other side of the hinge, the outer plate can be the right plate. FIG. 13A shows the outer/left plate, with its engraving thereon. FIG. 13B shows the outer/right plate with the engraving thereon.

FIG. 13 A illustrates how engraving may be formed on these holes, showing which hole can hold a bolt that keeps the hinge at specified locations. The outer plate in FIG. 13 A is the reversed image of the outer plate in FIG. 13 B, but both will be used on opposite sides of the same truss. For example, in order to maintain the two truss parts at 0° relative to one another, bolts are placed through the 0° hole 1205 shown in FIG. 13 A and the corresponding 0° hole in FIG. 13B.

When the two trusses are thus held together, they are in the position shown in FIG. 1 with the bolt 121 passing through the hole 1205 in the outer plate, and through the corresponding hole 1206 on the inner plate of FIG. 12B, thereby holding the two parts together.

In the embodiment, only the outer plates receive engraving, and since the inner plates are inside the outer plates, they receive no engraving or countersinks for bolts.

The 5° hole maintains or limits a 5° separation between the inner and outer parts. A bolt is placed in the 5° hole 1210, which mates with the slot 1211. This allows movement between the hinge parts, but does not allow the hinge parts to pivot more than 5° apart, as shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 3 illustrates the bolt 300 in the hole 1210, and how this holds the hole 1210 into the inner surface 1211 of the inner plate, thereby constraining the movement of the hinges to 5°.

The 10° separation connection uses the hole 1220 held into the slot 1221 by the bolt as shown in FIG. 4.

For 15°, the bolt holds the hole 1215 within the slot 1211, as shown in FIG. 5 where the screw 500 holds between the hole 1220 in the slot 1211. That is, the same slot 1211 is used for 5 and for 15 degrees. (and also, as explained herein, that same slot 1211 for 25 degrees).

The screw 400 constraints between the two pivots. For 20°, the hole 1225 is used, against the slot 1221 as shown in FIG. 6. Again, that means that the same slot 1221 is used for 10° and 20° (and 30°).

In a similar way, for 25°, the hole 1230 may be used with slot 1211 as shown in FIG. 7.

For 30° the hole 1235 may be used with slot 1221 as shown in FIG. 8.

For a 35° difference, two different slots are mated, with the bolt being placed in the slot 1240, and held against slot 1241, as shown in FIG. 10.

FIG. 11 illustrates the screw being placed in the 40 degree slot 1245, held against slot 1246.

FIG. 10 illustrates use of the 45° slot 1250 against mating slot 1251.

By using the labeled surfaces to hold between the hinge parts, the hinge can be constrained and held at different angles. In this embodiment, the trusses are held at 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 and 45° relative to one another. Bolts hold in the different holes in order to hold the truss pieces at these different angles relative to one another. Each hole automatically stops the two hinge parts from moving beyond the limit of the selected angle. However, the truss can be held and/or raised in its flat configuration, then pivoted, but the pivoting amount is constrained by which of the pins have been installed.

For example, when the 5° pivot hole is used, the truss can pivot to as much as 5° relative to one another. When the 10° pivot hole is used, the trusses can move to as much as 10° relative to one another. However, the trusses can still straighten out to 0°, and can pivot to an angle as much as 10°. If bolts are tightened into the holes between the outer and inner pieces, the trusses can be constrained to limit to these angular extents.

Since the outer pieces are labeled, this can facilitate setting up the trusses at complex angles relative to one another.

In one embodiment, the truss hinge is made for example of ¾ inch steel for the inner plates and ⅜ inch steel for the outer plates.

Although only a few embodiments have been disclosed in detail above, other embodiments are possible and the inventors intend these to be encompassed within this specification. The specification describes specific examples to accomplish a more general goal that may be accomplished in another way. This disclosure is intended to be exemplary, and the claims are intended to cover any modification or alternative which might be predictable to a person having ordinary skill in the art. For example other configurations for other angles are possible. Also, while this system allows the trusses to move relative to one another until reaching the “stop angle”. This facilitates, as shown in FIGS. 14-17, raising the truss flat and maintaining it as angled. Another embodiment, however, can rigidly hold the two parts one relative to the other.

Also, the inventor intends that only those claims which use the words “means for” are intended to be interpreted under 35 USC 112, sixth paragraph. Moreover, no limitations from the specification are intended to be read into any claims, unless those limitations are expressly included in the claims.

Where a specific numerical value is mentioned herein, it should be considered that the value may be increased or decreased by 20%, while still staying within the teachings of the present application, unless some different range is specifically mentioned.

The previous description of the disclosed exemplary embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to these exemplary embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of raising a two part truss into a position where the two parts of the truss are at non-right angles with one another, comprising: locating the two part truss on a flat surface where the two parts of the truss lay flat relative to one another; where the two part truss has said first and second truss parts that are hinged relative to one another, hinged by a hinging part that has a holding part that constrains a maximum amount of motion between said first and second truss parts, attaching a lifting mechanism to an area of the two part truss between said first and second truss parts; lifting the area, where said lifting causes said two parts to move up and to change an angle relative to one another, where said angle is constrained by surfaces of said hinging part to limit an amount by which the angle can be changed by said lifting.
 2. The method as in claim 1, further comprising changing the holding part to change the angle that is constrained by the hinging part.
 3. The method as in claim 1, wherein the flat surface is a surface of a cart which holds the two part truss.
 4. The method as in claim 3, wherein the truss is transported with said hinging part constraining the first and second truss parts at 0° angles relative to one another, and further comprising moving the holding part to another holding surface which allows the first and second truss to pivot relative to one another to a desired angle greater than
 0. 5. The method as in claim 2, wherein there are a number of different stop surfaces on the holding part, defining a number of different angles.
 6. A truss hinge, comprising: a first hinging part, having a first connection which connects to a first truss; a second hinging part, hinged relative to said first hinging part, and having a second connection which connects to a second truss, a zero holding surface on said first hinging part and a zero holding surface on said second hinging part, wherein when said zero holding surfaces are connected to one another, said first and second hinging parts are held at 0° angle relative to one another, and a plurality of other surfaces which each define a specified maximum amount of angle movement between said first truss and said second truss more than 0°, and where a connection between first and second surfaces for a specified angle allow movement between said first truss in said second truss by an angular amount up to said specified angle.
 7. A truss hinge as in claim 6, wherein said other surfaces include a first hinging surface and a second hinging surface on said first hinging part which are both connected to a same third hinging surface that is on said second hinging part.
 8. A truss hinge as in claim 7, wherein said first hinging surface and said second hinging surface are holes, and said third hinging surface is a slot.
 9. A truss hinge as in claim 6 wherein said plurality of other surfaces include a plurality of different holes, and a plurality of different slots, and where each of the plurality of different holes and plurality of different slots defines a different amount of angle between said first and second hinging parts.
 10. A truss hinge as in claim 6, further comprising engraving on openings on said first hinging part, said engraving indicating an amount of hinging that will be allowed when connecting said openings to said second hinging part.
 11. A truss hinge as in claim 10, wherein said first hinge part includes surfaces for and markings for specified angles of 5°, 10°, 15°, 20°, 25°, 30°, 35°, 40° and 45° angles between said parts.
 12. A method of operating a truss hinge, comprising: connecting a first hinging part to a first truss; connecting a second hinging part, hinged relative to said first hinging part, to a second truss, sliding between said first and second trusses on said hinging parts using at least one continuous slot which defines different angles including a first hinging slot which is connected to define a first set of angles including a first angle between said first hinging part and said second hinging part and said second hinging part includes a second hinging surface that is connected to define a second angle between said first hinging part and said second hinging part, and a connection between said first hinging slot and second hinging surface that limits an angle between said first and second trusses at different maximum angles relative to one another, moving said first truss and said second trusses between said different angles along at least one of said first hinging slot and said second hinging surface, and constraining a maximum angle by connecting between said first and second hinging parts, said maximum angle limiting the angle between said first and second trusses to an amount of said maximum angle, but allowing said trusses to be held at smaller angles closer to 0° than said maximum angle and at all other angles between said smaller angles up to said maximum angle.
 13. The method as in claim 12, wherein said second hinging surface is a hole.
 14. The method as in claim 12, further comprising engraving on openings on said first hinging part, said engraving indicating the maximum angle that will be allowed when using said openings.
 15. The method as in claim 14, wherein said first hinge part includes surfaces for and markings for 0°, 5°, 10°, 15°, 20°, 25°, 30°, 35°, 40° and 45° angles between said parts.
 16. The method as in claim 12, further comprising, connecting to surfaces on said first hinging part and said second hinging part which hold said trusses at zero degrees relative to one another as one of said different angles, and transporting said first and second trusses at said zero degree angle. 